Maker: Bill Burke, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)Item num: 90312*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***Blade length: 10.25 in.Total length: 15.65 in.Blade height (at heel): 1.30 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.17 in.Item weight: 7.00 oz.Blade: Water quenched aogami 2 carbon steelHandle: African blackwood with a musk ox horn spacerDescription: Bill Burke, who was honored as a Mastersmith June 2006, is known for creating some of the best chefs knives and hunters that can be found anywhere. His attention to geometry and balance on his chef's knives, not to mention the exceptional edge holding clearly sets him apart. This traditional single bevel yanagi immediately grabbed my attention.
The yanagi is a traditional Japanese knife used to cut boneless fish fillets. It is mainly used for a drawing cut. The heel of the knife is placed on the fish and the knife is lightly pressed down, letting the weight of the knife do the work while drawing the blade toward you. Sashimi knives are also excellent for slicing other boneless meats.
Traditional Japanese chef's knives differ from European styled knives in that they are sharpened with a bevel on only one side. The opposite side is slightly hollowed. Consequently, this right-handed knife can be honed to a sharper edge than can double bevel knives.
This knife is in the honyaki style, meaning it is forged from one piece of carbon steel and differentially hardened. This is accomplished by coating the spine of the knife with clay prior to quenching, causing the spine to cool slower than the blade-edge. The resulting undulating heat treatment line is called a hamon and shows the transition between hard edge-steel and soft spine-steel. This technique takes far more skill to forge and shape than kasumi knives. Of all the Japanese knives, honyaki have the greatest kirenaga (staying sharp the longest) but they are also more fragile than other knives and can chip, crack, or break if used improperly. The blade was forged to shape from Japanese aogami 2 carbon steel.
The traditional octagonal handle is formed from African blackwood and has a front, blonde ferrule formed from very rare Arctic musk ox horn. Musk ox horn is one of the most rare and majestic handle materials used in the knife world. The highly polished horn has a unique grain structure that immediately grabs the eye.
Exceptional work throughout!Availability: Not currently available